Forever
by Lady Genrou
Summary: Chichiri shares his past with Tasuki, and finds comfort in his embrace. Not really a yaoi, but there's hugging ^^;;


AN: I'm not too sure where this came from... I just randomly started writing one day, and "poof!" This is what came out. It's not really a yaoi, but I guess it could be sorta implied... I am a Tas/Chi fan after all ::dodges sharp objects and rotten fruit thrown in her direction:: Sorry! I just can't help it! And if you dont like Tasuki and Chichiri together... click the magic little link at the top to take you back to the main page in stead of leaving nasty reveiws. Besides. I got pleanty of pop tarts to roast over them flames! ^^ And if you DO like this paring, and you DO like my story... you can leave a nice review.   
  
Disclaimer: Yes, I also don't own FY or any of it's characters and have no money.   
  
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'How can he just sit there like that all damn day holdin' that thing?!' Tasuki thought as he peered over shrubs at his fellow, blue-haired seishi who was seated upon the lush bank of a pond, patiently waiting for a fish to bite the line of his fishing pole. Chichiri had long ago sense Tasuki's life force energy, but he made it a point not to acknowledge it. His curiosity was piqued, and he wanted to see just what the loud redhead was up to.   
  
Tasuki sighed a little and slumped back down in his leafy hiding spot. For a week or so now he had secretly followed Chichiri around, watching his every activity inside and out of the palace. He wasn't sure exactly why, however, and if Chichiri ever found out that he was spying on him... The humiliation! Being one of the younger seishi, he held a respect for the monk, even though he didn't show it as much as he should have. But he wasn't good at that sort of thing! And he wasn't good about talking of feelings either. That was a chick thing!   
  
With another heavy sigh, he turned and looked back to where Chichiri was, but started when he found that the monk was no longer there. "Ack! Where'd he go?"   
  
"Tasuki, no da?"   
  
The bandit nearly jumped out of his skin. Quickly he whirled around and tried his best to cover his obvious embarrassment. "Gah! Dammit, Chichiri! Ya scared th' hell outta me!"   
  
Chichiri grinned nervously and tilted his head cutely to one side. "Gomen, no da." He paused for a moment, eyeing his companion though the slanted slits of his mask. "Ano... Tasuki, no da?"   
  
"Yeah?" answered the bandit as he brushed himself off and took a few deep breaths to settle the rapid beating of his heart.   
  
"Why have you been following me, na no da?"   
  
"Ack!"   
  
The scarlet coloring quickly returned to Tasuki's face as he fidgeted nervously and avoided looking at Chichiri who was knelling as he stood. "I-I don't know what yer talkin' bout! I ain't followin' no one!"   
  
"Then why have I been able to sense your life force for the past week, no da?"   
  
Tasuki went rigid at that question. He had forgotten about Chichiri's ability to do that. What was he going to say now to that? He blinked and looked down at his friend that was still kneeling upon the ground. Even with that mask, it was east to see the concerned expression beneath it. Tasuki groaned and raked his fingers though his fiery hair, defeated. "All right, all right. So I have been follown' ya 'round." He swallowed a little and folded his arms over his chest. "But I can't tell ya why... I don't eve know that myself."   
  
Chichiri tilted his head to the other side. "Nani, no da? Is there something bothering you?"   
  
Tasuki dug the toe of his boot in the soft earth. He was trying to think quick to say something that wouldn't make him seem like a total idiot. "Naw. Ya just've been goin' off o' lot by yerself lately, an' I was kinda wonderin' if ya were okay."   
  
Chichiri was a little surprised that the bandit admitted his real feelings for a change. At least he seemed very sincere with his words and tone. He smiled again and put his hand on the younger seishi's shoulder after he stood up. "Hai, Tasuki, no da. I'm all right."   
  
Tasuki finally raised his gaze to his friend. "Ya sure?"   
  
Chichiri nodded. "Very sure, no da. I'm just used to being alone, na no da."   
  
"...Didya want me t' go?"   
  
Chichiri was again surprised by Tasuki's tone. He sounded so ... disappointed, that the monk felt a slight tug at his heart. "Iie, no da. Even people who are used to being alone need company sometimes too."   
  
Tasuki grinned at that. "Yeah, I guess so."   
  
Chichiri smiled in return. "Come sit with me on the bank, no da."   
  
Tasuki was more than happy to join the monk beside the pond. For a moment, they were simply sat in silence. watching the rays of sunshine dance on the surface of the water. Tasuki turned his gaze to his quiet, blue-haired companion beside him, studying his features and memorizing them. Tasuki had always found Chichiri beautiful; even with the mask on. But it wasn't just his looks that warmed the younger man's heart. It was Chichiri's wisdom and the way he saw the world; finding good in everything and anything. The monk was always calm and collected, and always prepared. Tasuki had always admired his levelheaded decisions, especially in the crazy mishaps with enemy seishi.   
  
But what really made Tasuki respect Chichiri was the way he never put his problems on any of them and always took theirs as his own. Tasuki had only seen Chichiri once without his mask, but he could tell that he had one hell of a past from the scar that sealed his left eye shut. He had been surprised when he first saw it, having believed that the mask was the monk's real face, but now it didn't bother him. In fact. the only one it seemed to upset was Chichiri himself.   
  
Tasuki leaned back on his hands, playing with the grass between his slender fingers. He wanted to ask Chichiri about his scar. He wanted to be the one that the monk opened up to first. But was it right to dig up old memories that Chichiri was no doubt trying to bury? He couldn't help it. The though of Chichiri holding all that pain inside of him for so long tore him up inside. Someone as wonderful as him shouldn't have to suffer.   
  
"Chiri?"   
  
"Hai, no da?"   
  
"Can I ask ya somethin' kinda personal?"   
  
"If you wish, no da."   
  
Tasuki paused nervously for a moment. "How'd ya get yer scar?"   
  
Chichiri was silent for a short elapse of time before he turned to face the red headed seishi. If he was surprised by the question, Tasuki couldn't tell. "It was a long time ago, no da..."   
  
"Ya don't hafta tell me, ya know."   
  
"Iie, no da," Chichiri smiled a second smile behind the mask. "I don't mind telling you."   
  
Tasuki turned a wide, amber gaze to him. "Y-ya don't?"   
  
Chichiri shook his head lightly and looked back over the water before he began.   
  
"About six years ago, when I was eighteen, I was engaged to a woman named Kouran, no da. We had grown up together along with my best friend, Hikou. The three of us were very close and spent all our free time together, na no da. So you see, it was very easy for the both of us to fall in love with her..."   
  
Tasuki was shocked to find out that Chichiri had been engaged. He always seemed like the kind of guy that would keep to himself and his travels. "But if yer a monk, how'd ya get engaged? I thought ya holy people weren't allowed t' do stuff like that."   
  
Chichiri couldn't help a soft laugh at that. "I wasn't always a monk, no da."   
  
"Eh?"   
  
He shook his head. "Iie. I've only been one for the past three years, na no da."   
  
"Ah... So anyhow, what happened next?" Tasuki was eager to hear the rest of the story. He never expected Chichiri to actually tell him.   
  
"Well, not too long before our wedding, I went to meet Kouran to give her a present I bought for her, no da. It was an ivory hair piece, and I had spent quite a bit of my saved money to get it for her. But when I went to meet her, I found her and Hikou together, no da... kissing. Not long after that, Kouran broke our engagement."   
  
"What?? That's fucked up!! Th' hell was yer friend thinkin'?? What was SHE thinkin'??"   
  
"It was a little of my fault too, no da. I had suspected that Hikou had feelings for her, but I never confronted him about it. I guess I really trusted them both..."   
  
"Well sure ya would! He was supposed t' be yer best friend fer cryin' out loud! Sorry, Chiri, but that was pretty shitty on his part fer doin' that to ya."   
  
Chichiri sighed lightly, but was touched by Tasuki's concern and compassion. It was rare that the bandit showed his true feelings, and he was honored that he did so with him. "I was so angry when she called off our wedding, no da..."   
  
"Tsk! I would've been pissed too!"   
  
"I went to confront Hikou later that night. We met on the bank of a river that cut through our home village. It was pouring rain. The flood season had already started, and the waters were high and wild. That didn't matter to me though. I was only focused one thing ... and when I saw Hikou there, I didn't hesitate on attacking him ... armed with a dagger."   
  
Tasuki's mind reeled at the last sentence. A dagger?? The Chichiri he knew didn't even step on ants! He was rendered completely and could only listen in awe as his friend finished.   
  
"Hikou stumbled back when I did, causing the bank to give way beneath his feet, and he fell into the water. When that happened, I finally realized what I was doing, and quickly caught hold of his hand. The current was incredibly strong, and it was hard for me to even try to pull him out. Just as I started to, a piece of debris struck me in the face ... and I let go of his hand. Kouran lost her life too, and the village was swept away along with my family. I'm surprised I even survived..."   
  
Tasuki blinked, looking down at the ground for a moment, then back up to his friend that had fallen silent. He felt his heart wrench as he noticed Chichiri's slight trembling, and he immediately regretted bringing it up. He hung his head in shame, not too sure of what to say, only to look back up again when Chichiri started to speak.   
  
"After losing everything, I decided to become a monk in my desperate attempt to cleanse my sins ... especially since I tried to take my own life as well... I-I just couldn't bear to even look at myself. It was all my fault."   
  
Tasuki sat up at that and put his arms around the distraught monk. Chichiri was surprised, but grateful for the comforting embrace and gently leaned against him, closing his eye behind the mask. "Naw, Chiri. It wasn't yer fault. I mean, it's not like ya just let him go. Ya tried t' pull him out, and ya still feelin' bad like this is proof that it was an accident."   
  
Chichiri shook his head lightly against Tasuki's broad chest. "I did try to harm him... I had a dagger..."   
  
"Well, sure! Ya were pissed of! Hell, I would have brought a fuckin' sword like Hotohori-sama's t' run him through if I were you! But th' thing is, Chiri, ya realized that ya were wrong, an' ya admitted it. That there takes balls! I wouldn't say that I was wrong! But yer friend an' chick was also wrong. They betrayed ya... I'm sure they know though. How ya feel, I mean. I bet they're feelin' pretty rotten themselves. But that's th' nice thing about best friends. They always forgive ya. Shit, Kouji put me through hell when I first went t' Reikaku, an' I fergive his silly ass. An' I'm sure yer friend has fergivin' ya too. Just like ya have him. An' things are gonna be okay. Th' three o' ya are gonna get a fresh start in th' new life after this one, and yer gonna do just fine."   
  
Chichiri was hardly aware of the tears that fell from his eye as Tasuki spoke. The bandit's gentle words and loving embrace had touched him deeply, and meant more to him than he could even begin to say. Tasuki smiled down at him and ran his fingers over the monk's soft hair. "An' I know I'm right, 'cause beautiful people always win out when it's all said an' done. An' never ferget that ya have people here now that support an' love ya... 'Specially me. I'll always be here fer ya... Forever."   
  
Chichiri hugged Tasuki tightly around his waist and buried his face in his shoulder. "Thank you, Tasuki... Thank you so much."   
  
Tasuki just smiled and continued to stroke Chichiri's hair as the two of them sat there for a long while after in silence, simply enjoying being close to each other. Tasuki felt his heart grow as a warmth spread over his body. He was glad he got Chichiri to talk. He could feel that his friend's burden had been lifted a great deal off his shoulders. Tasuki felt proud. And he also felt the bond between the two of them become stronger. His smile grew bigger as Chichiri whispered to him: "And I'll always be here for you too, no da... Forever."   
  
*oOoO~ OWARI ~OoOo*


End file.
